(1) The Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall establish and administer the Kentucky Mental Health First Aid Training Program or a similar program to train professionals and other members of the public to identify and assist individuals who may have or may be developing a mental health disorder, a substance use disorder, or who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis. The program shall promote access to certified trainers who have obtained certification in mental health first aid training by successfully completing an instructor training program approved by the cabinet.
(2) The Kentucky Mental Health First Aid Training Program or a similar program shall promote training that is appropriate in content and vocabulary for the language, educational level, and literacy of the trainees and individuals to be served and that accomplishes the following objectives:
(a) Build mental health and substance use literacy that is designed to help the public identify, understand, and respond to the signs of mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and mental health or substance use crises; and
(b) Enable the trainee to assist an individual who may have or may be developing a mental health disorder, a substance use disorder, or who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis. The ability to assist an individual includes knowledge of how to:
1. Recognize the symptoms of a mental health disorder, a substance use disorder, and a mental health or substance use crisis;
2. Provide initial help;
3. Refer individuals requiring assistance toward appropriate professional help including help for individuals who may be in crisis;
4. Prevent a mental health disorder, a substance use disorder, or a mental health or substance use crisis from deteriorating into a more serious condition that may lead to more costly interventions or treatments or harm to an individual; and
5. Promote healing, recovery, and good mental health.
(3) Subject to appropriations provided by the General Assembly, available funds in the Kentucky mental health first aid training fund created in KRS § 210.054, or other available funding, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall award training grants for mental health first aid training provided by certified trainers. The training grants may support training courses or provide hardship subsidies for training fees.
(4) The cabinet shall make awards equitably among geographical regions and meet the training needs of rural areas, areas with underserved populations, and areas with health care provider shortages. The recipients of awards may include but are not limited to law enforcement, corrections, education, retail establishments, military, older adults, and youth-focused agencies.
(5) The cabinet shall ensure that evaluation criteria are established and utilized to measure the distribution of the training grants and the fidelity of the training process
in achieving the main objectives of the program.
(6) The cabinet shall include information on training programs that are available on the cabinet’s Web site.
(7) The cabinet shall promulgate administrative regulations to implement this section.
Effective: July 15, 2020
History: Created 2020 Ky. Acts ch. 69, sec. 1, effective July 15, 2020.